The Town of Stuart received $700,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for its Downtown Revitalization Project.
Town Manager Bryce Simmons said the ARC grant funds will be earmarked specifically for improvements to the Stuart Farmers’ Market, which includes a new timber frame bandshell, and the structural decking portion of a mega deck, that will be situated behind some of the businesses along Patrick Avenue.
“That’s still a little bit up for discussion between the property owners, but we do anticipate anywhere between five to eight businesses could be affected by the mega deck,” he said.
Simmons said the ARC grant is in coordination with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that was announced at the end of last year. The town received $990,271.45 from the CDBC.
“The CDBG funds are being used as a match towards the ARC grant. So, this is no actual match dollars from taxpayer citizens of the Town of Stuart,” he said.
The town applied for the ARC grant in the first quarter of 2023.
Currently, Simmons said the two grants are all the funding the town has allocated to the downtown revitalization project.
“We hope that this will complete the first phase. Once we have that first phase completed, we’ll be looking at potentially other sources of funding for additional phases,” he said.
Simmons is unsure of when construction on the project will start.
“I haven’t had a meeting with the state or Appalachian Regional Commission regarding the agreement and the contract between the town and DHCD,” he said. “So, I can’t say right now. It’s going to be contingent upon environmental review, having to select a consultant, and doing the final design. There’s a lot of pieces that have to be completed before we can say we’re ready to construct.”
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, said the grant is great news and will not only help make improvements at the Stuart Farmers’ Market, “but also transform a now unusable space in the town’s downtown area into a community amenity. This new deck structure will provide handicap accessibility to the buildings it will be built behind and also access to the creek below.”
The $700,000 was part of $1,900,000 in federal funding given to three projects in Bland County, Stuart, and Lee County.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Alexandira, and Tim Kaine, D-Richmond, said communities across Virginia have tremendous momentum, ideas, and initiative for projects that will improve their towns and grow their economies.
“They often just need the resources to execute them. We’re thrilled to see federal funding meet clear needs and bring … community improvement projects to life to help communities grow and thrive,” the senators said.
